Crimson recollection
by TheDarkTulip
Summary: A oneshot for KnockOut'sFanGirl221. With Breakdown gone, Knockout finds himself unable to grieve, instead he recalls the day he learnt the true meaning of the word 'brother'.


**Alrighty! This is my first EVER oneshot so please be nice! A oneshot for KnockOut'sFanGirl221, as she was my first ever one hundredth reviewer on a story so this was her reward. Just a quick look at Knockout's feelings when he realises that Breakdown is gone.**

**Read and Review guys!**

**Tulip Out.**

Perhaps it hadn't dawned on him yet, he'd never been condemned for having a slow processor but then he'd never lost someone he cared for.

But then, could it really be considered care? Did he care for Breakdown? Or did he just care for someone that didn't begrudge him for who he was.

Was it friendship or a mutual understanding?

Knockout couldn't really tell which was which, having being born into a war he had only ever had allies on the battlefield. Breakdown, had however, always been there.

Breakdown had been there when Knockout had emerged from his protoform sack and into the war, they hadn't chosen their own names, instead they had chosen each others.

They protected each other in battle, and on certain cases had shown each other what could be considered brotherly affection.

Knockout recalled his first true screw up, as free agents of the war they were mainly classified as bounty hunters and were usually ignored by the Autobots. It wasn't until they were hired, by Megatron, to dismantle the Autobot known as Blurr that the Autobots decided that they couldn't be allowed to continue.

_The rugged red landscape of Kaon was like a slap in the face for those who were unaccustomed to the sight of such a raging colour, however for Knockout and Breakdown it was a sight they were accustomed to._

"_You want us to kill the motor mouth?" Breakdown queried with a grunt and Soundwave gave a discrete nod and replayed the recording of Megatron once more._

"_Blurr transports valuable information as an intelligence officer, I want his head. On a spike" The message informed them and Knockout waved it off._

"_Yes yes, head on a spike we got that, but what's in it for us?" He questioned cynically and Soundwave played another recording of Megatrons voice._

"_Energon, weaponry, name it and it shall be yours"_

_Knockout glanced over at Breakdown who grinned maliciously at Soundwave, but the mech remained completely impartial to the gesture._

"_We want a ship" Breakdown informed him and Soundwave gave a brief nod._

"_It shall be yours"_

_With that they turned, accepting a data pack from the Decepticon second in command about the intelligence officer known as Blurr and set about tracking him._

To say that the task of capturing the intelligence officer was a difficult one would have been somewhat of an understatement. It wasn't that the two of them weren't aware of how many had tried previously to capture Blurr. It was that they had always told themselves that they were the best, and therefore the others had all failed because they simply weren't them. A single mistake by Knockout had changed the entire mission, and the way he saw Breakdown.

_Blurr lay, leaking a vast amount of energon from his helm, as Knockout approached him with a sadistic grin._

"_You are by far the most annoying persistent mech I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with" He told the barely online intelligence officer, who in response groaned and twitched his fingers._

"_Knockout, hurry up and get out of there!" Breakdown called, Knockout had cornered Blurr in a small cavern, too small for a mech like Breakdown to possibly get in so it meant the two were separated by a wall of rock._

"_I think I might dismantle you, I need a few new parts and small as you are I'm sure I can sell the rest of you to some desperate mech or femme" Knockout practically purred as he ignored Breakdowns call._

_Another meagre groan from Blurr indicated that he was no longer aware of the situation, but then if he didn't have some kind of interior cranial damage than he was certainly suffering from severe energon loss._

"_Knockout, if you don't hurry were going to miss our deadline" Breakdown called, more than a bit disgruntled._

_He had so wanted to smash the blue pit spawn the moment he had met the never silent mech._

"_I'll be there in a moment, though I can't understand why Megatron wants your head. Must be something important in there mustn't there?" Knockout asked Blurr who's optics were fading to black. Not dead, not yet anyway._

"_Knockout! Get out of there! There's a back entrance!" Breakdown called, almost desperately through the entrance to the cavern and Knockout went to turn, but a swift blow to the back of the helm sent his world plunging into darkness._

Knockout only vaguely remembered what happened next, he recalled being dragged to an Autobot holding cell, and being vigorously tortured by Rodimus Prime and those in his team. The one thing he did remember clearly, was when Breakdown arrived.

_Rodimus turned away from his captive as a loud, hollow explosion sounded outside._

_Knockout could hear the steady, slow and deliberate steps of someone large, making their way through the corridors with evil intent radiating from them even though they were not visible. Rodimus faced Knockout briefly before turning to the door, blaster drawn._

_He had of course, made the mistake of presuming that in his energon drained state that Knockout was incapable of attacking and as the door slid open with a mechanical whir and the moment he saw Breakdown he flung himself at the back of Rodimus._

_He swung his arm into the back of Rodimus' helm, and even he had to admit it was a very pathetic attack but it had the desired affect. He was distracted and that gave Breakdown the chance to blast a hole in the Autobots chest._

_Rodimus fell beside Knockout, who after his weak yet effective attack had collapsed onto the ground. Breakdown came forward and glanced wordlessly at Knockout, legs barely attached and spark pulsing weakly in it's exposed chamber._

"_Took…long 'nuff" He muttered feebly and he again had to scorn his own weakness._

_Breakdown, his optics if possible looking more crimson than Knockout's paint job, glared down at Rodimus._

"_Torture?" He asked, a simple yet efficient word that allowed Knockout to hear the venom and liquid hatred in his voice._

_A nod, was all it took._

_Breakdown reached down, and pulled off Rodimus chest plating, revealing the still strong spark, despite the injury just inches below it._

"_I intend to offline you, but first I am going to torture you until you scream and repair Knockout with your spare parts" Breakdown told him, it was a statement said in a tone that Knockout had never heard._

_Calm, promising, suffocating._

Knockout didn't care to recall the rest, and Breakdown had made the Autobot commander scream, he screamed until his vocal processors gave way. So it was with great pride that Knockout looked down at his chest plating, as Breakdown had also promised he repaired Knockout with his spare parts.

Breakdown had killed Rodimus once the screaming had halted, but when Knockout got his hands on the Autobot that had killed Breakdown, he wouldn't. He wouldn't stop if their vocal processors gave way, he wasn't going to stop if their eyes dimmed.

He was going to rip their spark out, and use the energy to create a weapon worthy of Breakdown.

That, would be the sweetest revenge for his fallen partner.

His fallen brother.


End file.
